Rabat, March 19th, 2008 (WAM) -- A joint heart treatment initiative between the UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) and Emirates World Heart Group (EWHG) will conduct over 30 heart surgeries free of charge to needy Moroccan patients who can't afford the high treatment cost, a senior RCA announced Wednesday.
Dr. Saleh Al Taie, RCA Secretary General, said a 20-member medical team will leave Thursday for Rabat to operate the surgeries, offer treatment and run training programmes under the UAE-Morocco programme for treatment of poor heart patients which ordered by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the RCA. ''During the third medical mission to Morocco, code-named 'Zayed Charity - Generous Heart', the team will conduct 35 open heart and catheterisation surgeries while a mobile team of cardiologists will tour towns and villages to carry out screening programmes,''he added. Meanwhile, Dr. Adel Al Shameri, EWHG Chairman, said a team of prominent world cardiologists from Switzerland, France, Canada, US, Argentina and UAE, will perform the surgeries at the Zayed Hospital and Ibn Sina Hospital in Rabat during the week-long mission. ''In total, the UAE-Moroccan heart treatment programme aims to conduct over100 heart surgeries, screen over 500 cases of heart disorders and deliver training workshops for more than 200 medical professionals,''he added. According to him, the programme features establishment of Zayed medical training centre and Zayed Trauma centre at Zayed hospital in Rabat. Around 35 surgeries were operated during the second mission in last February. The non-profit group brings together some of the world's high calibre heart surgeons and provides a multi-programme in heart care to needy patients around the world. It offers consultation clinics, open-heart surgeries and training programmes for doctors and nurses. It also donates equipment and medicines to needy hospitals. The organisation, which works with local and international medical staff under the umbrella of the UAE Red Crescent, has conducted surgical and training programmes in Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Bahrain and Eritrea.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2008.
